Feeding mechanism for spreaders



June 9, 1925. 1,540,884

c. c. HERMANN ET AL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SPR EADERS Filed March 13, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS;

ATTORNEY June 9, 1925. 1,540,884

C. C. HERMANN ET AL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SPREADERS Filed March 13, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS BY/fi w ATTORNEY June 9, 1925. I 1,540,884

- I C. C. HERMANN ET AL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SPREADERS' Filed Marchil? 2 4'Sheets-Sheet :s

Ii X 4%.? 1- i I ATTORNEY June 9, 1925.

C. C. HERMANN ET AL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SPREADERS.

Filed March 15,- 1922 4 shesflvaswsmm;v 4

INVENTOR 5 45 W, z e y fl' z ATTORNEY v v i w en imi'rso STATES rnrnurrs esw eLAnniie-n c. I-IEEMANN, EDGAR o. EZTCJEIELD A D HENRY IT II D,

W'ATERLOQ, IOWA; SAID HEEMANN QM).

AND HENRY L. LITCHFIELD.

r snsme i nonnnrsm roe srnnnnnns.

sen). EDGAR mee s-rim Application filed. Marsh 13 1922}. Serial. No l=3,332

To all wk )3! zfiznnqy concern.

Be it known that e. (insurance l lies Tu'AlIN, Enmu C. Lrronrinlo. and I'llENRY i1. LITC-H in -citizens ithe. United Stetes, 6 residingerloo, county of Bleckhmvk, SilfltQ o i improvement in Feeding Meghenisin for Spreaders, and declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact de- 10 scription of the some. such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it per teins to make and use the some. reference being: lied to the accompanying drawings, which 01111 a part of this specification.

The present invention ha for its priinery object to simplify and improve the ectuetinnineens for the distributing mechanism fertilizer spreeders, nurhe them stronger and more, duriible, and insure etiicient opera tion even otter the parts have become much worn,

In carrying out the. present invention. use is made of a novel form of lever for eotuet ing the ratchet Wheel associated with the conveyor which carries theinsterial toward the. rerr in tliiespreader body, the lever beingr iositively driven in one direction by e QZUH YOijEYtQQlDlO with the main reel-axle o? the vehicle or with one otthe rear spreader wheels to u predetermined annular position and droppi. back by gravity through a. return stro re vziried at will by the driver according; to rate at which the, fertilizer to i I its aspects, therefore. the pres ent invention inuv' be 162f&-tll as having for its object to produce a simple, powerful and durable ratchet drive con 'olled in a simp e u'ienne' to vary the driving speed. In some epreeders it is usual to provide :1. mil piste which is lifted out the Way oil the n itezrsl carried renriverdly in the spreader body to the distributing point. One of the objects of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel master controller for the'tsil gate ut the rear end of the spreader. and the. actuating lnecheuis s. opposite sides of the spreade tor the beater wheel and the convcyrn' respocn. tivelv.

A further object of the present invention is produce r simple and novel bearing Construction \vhirh Will permit six-inning own. have invented seertfiin new 1 firms, levers or perils on i spreader orthe like to be mounted quickly, W thou the necessity ottestening; or untestenil. bolts. sereivs end the like, and Without l, ger oi. accidental dismounting of the ps -ts in service. i

further object of the present invention is to produce simple and noiel bearing construction in which the will be shielded against the entrance at d'n' "lore been so difficult to keep out of hearings in use in spreeders. V

The various features o1" novelty whereby the present invention is cliereeteijrized will hereinsfter pointed out With portioulz rity in the claims; but, for e full understzinding of the present invention and of its objects end advent-ages, reference may be hed to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drrrvvinos wherein igure is a side elevation of a spreader en'lbodying the features of the present invention in a preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the spreader;

Fig. 2* is a section on line, Xof Fig. 9

illustrating a detail;

Fig. 31s an enlarged perspective View thereer end of one side of the spreader;

scale. of the holding: pawl for the main breekettor said pawl; and

Fig. 10. is :1 section on line 1(l10 of Referring.- to the drawings, 1 represents any usiuil or suitable spreader body mounted on iron}; Wheels 2 and rear Wheels 13.

the latter being): preferably supported on an axle 4;. "The bottom of the spreader body termed of any usual or suitable conveyor 5 around transverse driving shet p I end other toreig n inetler hich zt-hes hereto;

het wheel. together ivith the support 115.;

6 at the rear end of the body. On one end of the shaft 6, on the outer side of one of the side walls of the spreader body, is fixed a ratchet wheel 7.

(lo-operating with the ratchet wheel is a which extends across the outer edge of the flange 12 and then downwardly so as to overlap the outer face or side of the flange 12. Theflanges 12 and13 may be of any desired angular lengths as long as their combined lengths do not exceed three hun- .dred and sixty degrees; whereby the pawl may always be placed in'position or removed, when it occupies a predetermined angularposition with respect to the journal 10 and will be locked against removal while in other predetermined angular positions. Inthe arrangement shown, the flange 12 is quite short and the flange 13 also is no longer than is required to take care of the comparatively small oscillation which the pawl must make. The pawl 8 is held against the ratchet wheel by a spring 14. The journal 10 is provided with a large chamber 15 open atthe outer end of the journal and adapted to contain lubricating material. The closed end of the cup-shaped hub of the pawl closes the open end of the lubricant reservoir or chamber. The lubricating material in the hearing may be replenished with oil from time to time by introducing the oil through a suitable oil hole 16 in the hub.

. In front ofthe ratchet wheel lies an apthe ratchet wheel while the actuating pawl engages with the teeth, the fork serving as a guide to hold the pawl in the plane of the wheel and prevent accidental displacement thereof. The detailsv of the actuating lever and pawl are best shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6. Referring to these figures, it will be seen that the actuating lever is provided at its front end with a cup-shaped hub 22 fitting over a chambered trunnion 23 which projects outwardly from the face of a bracket 24. The hub and the bracket are provided respectively with flanges 25 and 26 similar to the flanges 12 and 13 on the holding pawl. 8 and its supporting bracket. The flange 26 preferably extends across the upper half of the journal so that dirt or refuse dropping down upon the same will not have an opportunity of entering between the bearing surfaces. As in the case of the flanges 12 and 13, the flanges 25 and 26 should have a combined angular length not exceeding three hundred and sixty degrees, in order that the hub and the journal may be assembled by simply bringing them together in the axial direction, when the lever occupies a predetermined angular position with respect to the journal, and will be held interlocked during the ordinary working movements of the lever. chamber within the journal may be filled with an oiled waste 27 or other suitable lubricant-retaining material. If desired, the hub may be provided with an oil cup 28 which may be filled from time to time, and

from which oil may flow both between. the

bearing surfaces and also into the chamber or reservoir in the journal. For the sake of lightness and strength, it is preferred to give the actuating lever a channel-shaped cross section, the flanges 29 of the channel being directed downwardly. About midway between the ends of the actuating lever is placed a roller 30, the same. being housed between the flanges and revoluble upon an axle or shaft 31 extending transversely through said flanges. The member 31 is preferably fixed to the flanges in any suitable way as, for example, by making it a driving fit, so as to prevent rotation thereof. The member 31 is chambered at one end as indicatedat 32, an oil cup 33 being connected to the chamber. A port 84-. opens out through the surface of the shaft or axle 31 from the inner endof the chamber, so

.as to permit lubricant to flow from the chamber to the bearing surfaces.

The guiding fork 20 forms part of a. suitable bracket which is made separate from the, actuating lever and fastened thereto in any suitable way. On top of the bracket, between and at the inner ends of the prongs of the fork, is a transverse journal 36 which does not form a complete cylinder because of the connecting web 3?.which unites it to the body of the bracket. The pawl 18 is'provided with a substantially semirircular bearing 38 adapted to rest on th journal and be placed in position or removed laterally or in the radial direction. The greater portion of the face of the bearing is preferably cut away to form a chamber 39 in which a lubricating material may be packed.

The

or m) The pawl is provided with flanges or wings 4:0 at the ends of the bearing seat, these flanges or wings being adapted to lie against the ends of the journal. r The pawl is held in place by means of a suiteblebol-t 41 passing through the flanges or wings and through the journal. The purpose ot the bolt is simply to hold the pawl in place and not take the thrust that comes upon the pawl during its working stroke in turning the ratchet wheel. lhereiore the hole in the journal, through which the bolt passes, is preferably made considerably larger than the diameter of the bolt. In trout of the web 37 is a ciurved wall or ledge 313 over which hangs a flange or lip l8 on the pawl, the wall and the flange or lip serving as a guard to prevent dirt travelling rearwardly along the top of the actuating lever and falling down from above from entering the hearing for the pawl The actuatinn lever is adapted to he swing in the iii-award direction, namely in the direction to turn the ratchet wheel by means of a suitable cam 4-3 lived to the rear vehicle axle; In the arrangement shown, the cam has roughly the shape of a tour-pointed star provided" with. a hub 44 which surrounds the rear axle 4 of the spreader and the ratchet wheel, the roller 30 lies shove the cant 43. Consequently, when the :eader is in motion and the camis revolving, the cam will alternately lift the V lever and reccde iironi the same so as to permit it to descend; It will be noted that the movement at the panvl is much glrenter than the movement of that point in the :urtizizitingr lever which is engaged by the com, a long stroke of the pawl being; thins socnrccl without theneeessiityof using a big heavy cain hnvingn stroke equal to the lllflXinoun stroke of the pawh The weight oi? the actuating lever and the parts carried thereby is sufiirient to cause it to drop when lezl t ireeto do Sn and therefore as soonas a birth point on the cam passes from underneath the cznn roller on the lever,v the lever descends by gravity. In other words, the actu- :iting; or working stroke of the lev r is etiected positively while the return stroke in res place simply under the action of grovity. It will be seen that the coin always lifts the lever to the same point or position, so that the upward limit oi the actual working stroke of the lever is always the same. It is not desirable, however, that the speed at which the conveyor is driven be inveri the lowest level permitted by the The parts are sozprm able, and therefore means must be provided for varying the effective working stroke of the actuating lever. Since the actuating lever is always raised to a predetermined height by the cein, the effective length of the working stroke may be varied by varying. the distance through which the lever may drop during; the return stroke, in the ar-' I angeinent shown, the iree endot the act-uatino lever is hung tnoni a controlling rod od-the lower end of which ext-ends loosely through the top wall or web of the actuetinn lever and is provided with a coiled spring .31. on which the lever rests; the

spring in turn resting on a suitable shoulder r' when the (:rontrolling rod is lowered ii awl" enough topermit the lever to. drop down to Therefore, by properly nianipuleti controlling rod. it is possible to new spreader about from place to place affecting);theconveyor and, when the i 91" tilizer isto be distributedthe conv yor ina y be driven step by step; at any desi speed by varying the effective length of the stroke of the actuating lever.

As the fertilizer is fed toward the rear .by the conveyor, it isnecessar-y to: scatter the 52121116 upon the surface over which the spreader is traveling, suitable distributing: means such as, for exeinple, a heater wheel 55, being employed; for this purpose. The driving mechanism heretofore described has a all been shown as located on one side of the spreader. The driving, mechanism 56, including a clutch and small gear '57, for the beater wheel, may conveniently be, placed on the opposite side of the spreader. It is customary in Spreaders of this kind toprovide 1.. Sl1lh2lill)l 8 tail gate just in front of the beater wheel, this teil garte -being;

lifted out of. the way to perniit the inatterial to be carried to the heater wheel before the conveyor is set in operation. In the arrangement shown, there is a tail gate 60 hung from a bail-like element. 61 one of whose arms ('9 terms with an attached arin a bell crank lever by means of which the tail gate is raised and lowered.v

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for controlling the tail gate, the beater wheel, and the conveyor, from a single point within convenient reach of the driver of the spreader. To this end there extends transversely across thefront end of the spreader, preterebly in front of the spreader box, a rock shaft 70;

J the clutch, may conveniently take substantially the form disclosed in the Litchfield and Shiplet Patent 1,294,496 dated February 18, 1919. Instead, however, of fastening the actuating rod to the lever 72 so that it must always move with it, we extend this rod loosely through the lever and provide it with a head 57 which is engaged by the lever when the latter is moved forward far enough, thereby releasing the clutch. The rear end of the actuating rod 7 3 p is fastened to the clutch lever 57 to which is fastened a spring 57 tending constantly to swing the clutch lever backward and throw the clutch in. To the lever 71 is attached an actuating rod 74; at the rear end of which is an upwardly-opening jaw 75 into which'the free end of the arm 63 by which the tail gate is actuated, extends. The jaw may be said to take the form of a hook, the nose 76 of which, projects upwardly above the opposite part or base. The arrangement is such that when the actuating rod 74: is moved back, the first operation is the swinging of the bell crank lever to raise the tail gate. When the arm 68 of the lever has been swung upwardly a. predetermined: distance, its free end leaves the jaw or hook, so that the rod can continue its rearward movement without interference ,on

the part of the tail gate and parts connected with the latter; but, when the rod is drawn forward again, the elongated nose 76 engages with the arm 63 and causes thc tail gate to be swung down again. I

The upper end of the controlling rod 50 for the actuating lever 17 for the conveyor is fastened toone'arm of abell crank lever 77 the other arm of which is connected to the actuating rod 74 by means of a link 78. Therefore, as the actuating rod or bar 7% is moved back and forth,the controlling side of the machine remaining stationary the actuating lever may descend during each return stroke, and therefore the greator will be the number of teeth which will be passed by the actuating pawl during each return stroke and consequently the greater will be the angular distance through which the ratchet wheel will be driven through each power stroke. The rate at which the fertilizer is fed toward the rear is therefore under the control of the driver and may be nicely regulated by means of the single hand lever which serves also to lift the tail gate and throw in the: beater wheel clutch. 7

One of the important results attained with the present invention is efficiency of operation long after'an amount of wear sufficient to make it impracticable to operate an ordinary spreader has occurred. This'is due to the fact that no delicate adjustment of the parts is required, that the comparatively small cam will always insure a sufficiently long stroke of the lever to operate the ratchet wheel through any clesired length of step, and that the controller for the actuating lever can always position the latter so as to secure the desired rate of feed of the fertilizer.

While we have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of the present invention, we do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed in the definitions of our invention constituting the appended claims; j

We claim: 1

1. The combination with the movable conveyor in a wheeled spreader, of a vertical ratchet wheel for driving the same, a vertically-swinging lever pivoted at one end and having at the other end a pawl for actuating said ratchet wheel, a-rotatable cam underlying said lever at a'point between the ends of the lever, said cambeing constructed and arranged positively to raise the lever and to permit it tobe lowered by other means, a vertical rod extending loosely through said lever, a spring on the lower end of the rod forming a yieldable seat for said lever, and a controller for raising and lowering said rod.

In combination, a ratchet wheel, an arm pivoted at one end and having at the free end a guide fork embracing the marginal portion of the ratchet wheehand a pawl pivotally mounted on the free end of the arm between the prongs of the fork and engaged with the periphery of the ratchet wheel.

3. In combination, a ratchet wheel, a pivlit)- oted lever having at its free end a guide fork engaged with said wheel, and a pawl pivotally mounted on the lever and engaging said wheel.

4:. A pawl device comprising an arm pivoted at one end, a fork at the free end,

a roller carried on the arm between the in the shape of an inverted U, a roller,

n'ionnted between the flanges of the arm at a point between the ends thereof, and a pawl n'iovably mounted on the free end of the arm.

6. A pawl device'comprising an arm pivoted at one end and having a cross-section in the shape of an inverted U. a roller mounted between-the flanges of the arm at a point between the ends thereof, a fork at the free end of the arm, and a pawl movably mounted on the free end of the arm between the prongs of the fork.

7. A pawl device comprising an arm pivoted at one end, a bracket secured to the free end of said arm, said bracket having a fork forming an extension of said arm and a journal at the inner end of the fork, and a pawl mounted on said journal and lying between the prongs of the fork.

8. A pawl device comprising an arm pivoted at one end, a bracket secured to the other end having a fork forming a continuation of the arm and a journal at the inner end and above said fork, a pawl having a downwardly-facing seat resting on said journal and flanges extending downwardly past the ends of said journal, and a bolt passing through said flanges and said journal.

9. A pawl device comprising an arm .pivoted at one end, a bracket secured to the other end having a fork forming a continuation of the arm and a journal at the inner end and above said fork, a pawl having a downwardly-facing seat resting on said journal and flanges extending downwardly past the ends of said journal, and a bolt passing through said flanges and said ournal, the bolt hole in the journal being larger in diameter than the bolt so as to permit the thrust of the journal.

10. A pawl device comprising an arm, a journal at one end of.said arm, a pawl having a semi-cylindrical seat engaged with said journal and flanges extending past the ends of said journal, and a bolt passing through said flanges and through said journal.

11. A pawl device comprising an arm, a journal at one end of said arm, a pawl havpawl to be borne by the.

ing a semi-cylindrical seat engaged with said journaland flanges extending past the ends of said journal, said seat being recessed between the] margins thereof to form a chamber for a lubricating material, and a bolt passing through said flanges and through said journal. I

12; A pawl device comprising a member having a journal, a pawl having a seat resting on said journal and flanges projecting past the ends of the journal, and fastening means between the said flanges and the journal constructed and arranged to hold the pawl on the journal and at the same time permit the thrust of the pawl to be borne directly by the journal.

13. A pawl device comprising a member having a fork projecting therefrom and a journal above and at the inner end of'the fork, and a pawl lying between the prongs of the fork and having a seat engaged with said journal, and flanges on said pawl extending past the ends of said journal.

14. A pawl device comprising a member having a web extending across .the top of the same, the upper edge of the web being rounded to form a journal, a pawl having a bearing seat resting on said journal, a wall rising from said member nearand parallel to saidjournal, and a flange on said pawl extending over the top of said wall.

15. A' pawl device comprising a member having a fork projecting therefrom and a journal above and at the inner end of the fork, a pawl lying between the prongs of the fork and having a seat engaged with said journal, flanges on said pawl extending past the ends of said journal, and fastening! means between said flanges and said journal arranged to permit the thrust of the pawl to be borne directly by the journal.

16. In combination with a wheeled vehicle, an element adapted to be driven step by step, a vertical ratchet wheel, for driving said element, a vertically-swinging lever pivoted at one end. and having at its free end a guide fork engaged with said wheel, a pawl pivoted on saidlever at the base of said fork and engaged with said ratchet wheel for driving the same, a cam fixed 'to one of the vehicle axles and underlying said lever between the ends thereof and remote from the free end for alternately swinging the lever upwardly and permitting it to descend, and a controlling device for varying the distance through which said lever can descend from the position to which it is raised by the cam.

In testimony whereof, we sign this speci-- fication.

otannnon o. ,HERMANN. mean 0. LrToHrmLn, HENRY L. LITOHFIELD,

lift) 

